WINDOW & DOOR GLOSSARY OF TERMS

AAMA (American Architectural Manufacturers Association): A national trade association that establishes voluntary standards for the window, door, storefront, curtain wall and skylight industries.

Air Infiltration: How much air leaks in and out of a window or building through cracks

Argon Gas: A nontoxic gas used in insulating glass units that reduces heat transfer

Awning Window: A window that is hinged at the top and swings outward

Bay Window: A composite of three or more windows, usually made up of a large center unit and two flanking units at 30°, 45° or 90° angles to the wall.

Bow Window: An angled combination of windows (either 3, 4, or 5) when placed together create an arch shape

Cam-Action: The mechanisms that secure the sashes together when placed in a locked position

Casement Window: A Window with a hinge on the side that uses a crank mechanism to open and close the window

Double Hung Window: A window that has two vertical operating sashes

Energy Star: A joint venture between the US EPA and the US DOE that was created to encourage homeowners to purchase energy-efficient products

Fixed Window: A window with no operating sashes

French Patio Door: A sliding door with two panels – both panels operate and swing inward or outward

Fusion-Welded: A process used to join materials together by melting with extreme heat thus creating one unit

Garden Window: A window the extends from the wall to the exterior of the home. Typically is in a square shape

Hopper Window: A bottom hinged window that opens inward

Jamb: The vertical part of the window frame or the horizontal part at the top of the window

Krypton Gas: A nontoxic gas used in insulating glass units that reduces heat transfer

Picture Window: A large window that has no operating sashes

R-Value: A measure of the resistance to heat flow – a high R-Value means the window has a greater resistant to heat flow and has a higher insulating value

Sash: The operating portion of the window that contains the glass

Sill: The bottom part of the window frame

Sliding Window: A window where the sashes move horizontally

Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: The amount of solar radiation allowed through a window – the lower a window’s SHGC, the less heat it transmits and the greater its shading ability

Spacer: The object in between two pieces of glass

U-Value: A measure of the rate of non-solar heat loss or gain through a window – the lower the u-factor, the greater the window’s resistance to heat flow and greater its insulating value

Customer Reviews

At Sunshine Contracting, customer satisfaction has always been our top priority. We’re dedicated to the success of every project, and this commitment to excellence has helped us earn outstanding reviews from previous customers.

“We were very happy that we chose Sunshine Contracting for our Hardie siding and gutter installation. Sunshine is one of the few James Hardie Elite Preferred contractors in the area, and they beat the other Elite Preferred installer by about 25 percent on their estimate. More importantly, Sunshine did an awesome job with the actual siding project, board and batten siding on a mid century modern Deck House.”

Tim Q.

“The quality of their work has been excellent. They have demonstrated a commitment to doing things right and making sure the customer is happy with the result. Our experience with Sunshine Contracting's high quality and high value home repair/update products and installation services is why we continued to use them when we moved to our new home.”

Ed W.

“Quality work and professional team. I looked around the Stafford area for someone that could replace two of my patio doors with quality doors and Sunshine exceeded my expectations, and trust me, I have very high expectations. Highly professional from start to finish. The gentleman that installed the doors was very meticulous and ensured every minuscule adjustment was perfect. I will use them again for any of my home's needs. Lastly, it is not easy to find quality contractors like Sunshine provides.”

Bradley G.
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